ANKARA: Two earthquakes jolted Turkiye’s southernmost Hatay province on Monday, just two weeks after major quakes hit the region, the country’s disaster management agency said.
According to the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD), the first quake took place at around 8.04 pm local time (1704GMT) in the Defne district of Hatay, with a magnitude of 6.4, while the other took place three minutes later, with the epicentre in Hatay’s Samandag province, with a magnitude of 5.8.
The first quake took place at a depth of 16.7 km, while the second was at a depth of 7 km. Both were felt in surrounding areas, reported Anadolu Agency.
AFAD issued warnings urging citizens to avoid coastal areas as a precaution against the risk of a rise in the sea level, which could reach up to 50 cm (1.6 feet).
Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay called on citizens in the region to stay away from damaged buildings as authorities scan the affected areas.
The country’s interior minister said at least three people were killed and 213 others wounded after the earthquakes.
“Three of our citizens lost their lives; one in the Antakya district, one in the district of Defne, and one in the Samandag district,” Suleyman Soylu said at a news briefing.
Search and rescue efforts are underway at three sites, he added.
At least 32 aftershocks have been recorded so far, according to AFAD.
Anadolu Agency correspondents reported that some buildings have collapsed after the earthquakes, which were also felt in neighbouring Syria.
On Feb 6, magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 quakes centred in Kahramanmaras struck 10 other provinces – Hatay, Gaziantep, Malatya, Sanliurfa, Adana, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Kilis, Osmaniye, and Elazig.
More than 13 million people have been affected by the devastating quakes.
At least 41,000 people were killed by the massive earthquakes in Turkiye, according to the latest official figures. Thousands of others were injured. – Bernama
